Automatic boiler-feed



D E .E F Am B m UB m PM W xCT U A m 0 M o Patented Nov. 23, 1897.

IVIZWESS ES r I I;

UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE. I

CHARLES F. MURRAY, OF WAYNE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC BOILER-FEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,210, dated November23, 1897. Application filed April 26, 1897. Serial llo. 633,925. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. MURRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Automatic Boiler-Feeds; and Ideclare the following to be-a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object an automatic boiler-feed; and itconsists of the construction, combination, and arrangement of devicesand appliances hereinafter specified and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view in side elevationembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig.

- 4 is a view in vertical section on the line 4 4,

Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the cylinder D andValve-case B on the line 5 5, Fig. 1.

My invention belongs to that class of devices whereby a supply of wateris automatically'admitted to a .boiler when the water? line within theboiler descends below a certain limit, and whereby steam isautomatically admitted to a pumping-engine to operate the pump withgreater rapidity to pump water faster into the boiler.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A represents any suitable boiler, vertical or otherwise.

B represents a water-supply pipe leading from a suitable pumping-engineQ and into the boiler A. In this supply-pipe B is located any suitablecontrolling-valve Bi, seating within a valve-case B.

C denotes a water-column suitably connected with the boiler, as by apipe 0.

D is a steam-pipe leading from the watercolumn 0 toward the top thereof,said steampipe being connectedwith a piston-cylinder D, within which islocated a piston cl, the piston-rod 01, connected therewith, being alsoconnected with the valve B whereby when the piston d is actuated by thesteam the valve B will open to let an increased supply of water into theboiler, a spring 01 retracting said valve into normal position.

To govern the admission of steam into the pipe D from the column 0, Iprovide a needie-valve, as at G, or other valve of suitableconstruction, operated by a float G, said valve seating in a hollow plugG through which the pipe D communicates with the inierior of the column0. The valve G is provided with a bell-crank G connected with the floatG, the construction being such that when the water lowers sufficientlyin the column 0 the float, descending, will open the valve G and admitsteam from the watercolumn into the pipe D to actuate the piston d andthe valve B The rising of the water Within the column 0 lifts the floatand closes the valve G, cutting off the steam from entrance into thepipe D. The plug G is also connected with an additional steam-pipe J andis provided with an additional valve H, which may be alongside the valveG, the valve H being provided with a bell-crank H, actuated byan'additional float H The steampipe J leads to a cylinder K, withinwhich is located a piston is, similar to the piston (1, provided with apiston-rod K.

S is a steam-pipe leading from the boiler into the cylinder Q of thepumping-engine, in which is interposed a valve K with which thepiston-rod K is connected. The interior construction of the valve K isnot shown, but may be like the valve B hereinbefore described. A springin the cylinder K serves a like purpose to the spring (1 to retract thepiston is. It will be obvious that when the float I-l descends withinthe column 0 steam is admitted through the pipe J to actuate the valve Kto operate the pump Q. The descent of the water in the column 0 has alsocaused, as hereinbefore explained, the opening of the valve B in thewater-supply pipe. The pump Q, it will be understood, may be constantlyworking with more or less rapidity pumping water into the boiler; butshould the pump not be working actively enough the steam admittedthereto through the pipe J will cause it to actuate more rapidly.

The connection of the valves B and K with the piston-rods d and K,respectively, may be made adjustable in any suitable manner. Thus, asshown, the said valves-may each be provided with a crank-arm dadjustably connected with the corresponding piston-rod, so that theposition of the valve may be set as desired, whereby the valve may benormally open to a desired degree, the steam in the pipes D and J,respectively, serving to open the corresponding valve wider to increasethe action of the pump and the watersupply.

The two floats G and Il may be constructed of any suitable material,formed into hollow bodies. The two floats may be constructed alike,although I do not limit myself to any definite construction thereof. Theupper float G descending, when the water lowers sufflciently, opens thevalve G, governing the passage of steam from the column 0 through thepipe D, to actuate the piston in the cylinder D, and thereby operate thevalve in the case B, controlling the admission of water from thesupply-pipe B into the boiler. The operation of the said valve in thesupply-pipe by the admission of steam from the column into the pipe Dopens said valve to admit water into the boiler. When the water in thecolumn 0 rises, the float G rises therewith and, when at a properheight, closes the valve G, thereby shutting off the passage of steaminto the pipe D. When the steam is thus shut off, the spring d in thecylinder (1 closes the valve in the case B.

In feeding the boiler or a battery of boilers it will be obvious thatthe water may continue to descend in the boiler and in the column 0after the float G has descended su fficiently to open the valve G, andthereby to open the valve in the supply-pipe B to ad- The float H issubmit wate r-into the boiler. merged in the water in the column C whenthere is a normal or suflicient supply of water in the boiler; butshould the water in the boiler descend below a desired level the float Hwould descend, until at a given point it would open the correspondingvalve H, thereby admittin g steam from said column into the pipe J toactuate the piston-rod K in the cylinder K, thereby opening the valve Kwider, permittin g a larger volume of steam to pass through the pipe Sto the pump to set the pump in motion more rapidly.

The device is obviously simple and efflcient in its operation inautomatically feeding the boiler.

That I claim as my invention is- In a boiler-feeding device, a boiler, awaterpipe connected thereto at one end, a pump for forcing water intothe boiler through the water-pipe, which is provided with a suitablevalve; a steam-pipe leading from the boiler to the pump, and whichsteam-pipe is also provided with a suitable valve, combined with awater-column secured to the boiler, two floats placed therein, one ofwhich is normally submerged, and the other on top of the water, twovalves connected to and operated independently by said floats, twosteam-pipes extending from the water-column, and each provided with acylinder upon its end, a spring-actuated piston extending through theend of the cylinder and connecting with the valves, whereby the risingor falling of the floats operates the valves so as to admit steam to thepipes leading to the valves, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES F. MURRAY. Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, ll/IARY HICKEY.

